Negligence of Duty

Xianyang, Office of the Commandant of Justice.

Meng Yi slammed the bamboo slip in his hand onto the desk with such force that a few droplets of ink splashed out from the inkstone.

He had just returned from his elder brother Meng Tian's residence; the dust of travel still clung to him, and his heart remained heavy with his brother's grand ambition and lingering anxiety regarding the upcoming northern campaign against the Xiongnu.

The Book of Prophecy brought back from the immortal mountains of the East Sea by the alchemist Lu Sheng had revealed a prophecy yesterday—"That which shall destroy Qin is the Hu." This matter was like a thorn buried deep in the First Emperor's heart.

If this were truly the mandate of heaven, could Meng Tian's expedition break the shackles of fate?

Or would it be Meng Tian's death that served to confirm the destiny of Great Qin?

However, before he could even catch his breath, the jade Identity Tablet at his waist, signifying his status as Commandant of Justice, grew slightly warm, transmitting an urgent official dispatch from Langya.

A large-scale brawl had broken out in Langya City, resulting in the destruction of mechanical armored soldiers, damage to the city district, and the presence of lawless fanatics operating during the curfew.

"Bastards!" Meng Yi could not help but curse under his breath, the veins on his forehead throbbing.

During the Emperor's eastern tour, Langya served as the most critical stop; it could not afford the slightest mishap.

Who was so tired of living that they would stir up such a massive disaster at this juncture?

Suppressing his fury, he focused his mind into the Identity Tablet, connecting to the "Law Eye" system that hung high in the nine heavens to monitor the eight wildernesses, and retrieved the recorded footage of the incident in Langya City.

The images flickered: from the moment Chen Jin, disguised as Heifu, was lured onto the high platform, to the encirclement by mechanical soldiers, to Chen Jin revealing his true face and unleashing an earth-shattering counterattack with his dual pistols, and finally his escape with the help of Ji exploiting loopholes in the law... scene after scene played out with absolute clarity in Meng Yi's mind.

When he saw "Heifu" disguised as Chen Jin, along with that unfathomable self-healing ability and violent firepower, Meng Yi fell silent.

He had originally thought his subordinates had discovered a talent worth cultivating, and had even felt a flicker of appreciation, but he had not expected it to be a tiger that had slipped into the city—its identity a mystery, its intentions unknown.

Yet, it could not be denied that on that high platform, the youth who called himself Chen Jin had displayed a courage, decisiveness, and a certain "foolishness" in returning for his "comrades" that had left a deep impression on him.

That spirit of looking down upon all mechanisms was something no ordinary bandit could possess.

"What a pity..." Meng Yi sighed softly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desk.

If such a talent could be used by our Great Qin...

A moment later, he composed himself, his gaze returning to the cold, dignified sternness befitting one of the Empire's Nine Ministers.

He took a blank memorial tablet and set his brush to it, his calligraphy sharp as iron hooks:

"Your subject, Meng Yi, respectfully reports: It has been investigated that the Qin Mohist Xiangli Wei, in his capacity as the Langya City Defense Coordinator, failed to plan with due diligence and arbitrarily deployed heavy mechanical armored soldiers and Assault Wings to apprehend criminals in the city's busy streets.

The operation was poorly handled, resulting in severe damage to the mechs, collateral damage to civilian dwellings, and a disruption of order, creating a disturbance on the eve of His Majesty's eastern tour with extremely negative consequences.

His actions constitute dereliction of duty, abuse of military equipment, and endangering public safety, among other charges. According to the law, he should be strictly punished without leniency."

Writing to this point, his brush paused. After a brief moment of contemplation, he continued:

"However, considering His Majesty's eastern tour is imminent and Langya is a vital part of the itinerary, initiating mass imprisonments now would likely alarm the imperial carriage and hinder stability.

Therefore, your subject suggests temporarily suspending the punishment of Xiangli Wei, ordering him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service by ensuring the defense of Langya remains flawless during the tour.

Once the tour concludes, he shall be dealt with accordingly.

Whether this is appropriate, I humbly await His Majesty's imperial decision."

After finishing, he took his official seal and stamped it upon the tablet.

A faint light flashed, and the contents of the memorial were encrypted and transmitted to the desk of the First Emperor.

Langya City, within Xiangli Wei's luxurious residence.

Xiangli Wei stared at the reprimand he had just received on his Identity Tablet, his face as dark as water, his fingers turning white from the pressure.

The wording of the dispatch was severe; although it did not immediately strip him of his authority, the phrase "atone for his crimes through meritorious service" weighed on his heart like a mountain.

The status he had spent years cultivating within the Qin Mohist system and the imperial bureaucracy was now in jeopardy due to this single failure.

Cen Qing walked gracefully to his side, holding a cup of warmed wine, and comforted him softly: "Wei-lang, there is no need to be overly anxious. Since the Commandant of Justice has given you a chance to atone, it means there is still room for maneuver.

His Imperial Majesty is wise and martial; the eastern tour is the perfect opportunity for you to showcase the wonders of the Qin Mohist Mechanism Art. As long as you perform outstandingly and please the Emperor, these minor faults might just be overlooked."

Xiangli Wei nodded absentmindedly, though his gaze remained heavy.

"You are right, my lady." He stood up, trying to keep his tone calm. "Before the tour, there must be no more mishaps. I am going to the hangar to check the maintenance progress of 'Xuanhu' and 'Vermilion Bird'; I must ensure everything is foolproof."

Watching Xiangli Wei's tall back disappear into the depths of the residence, the gentle smile on Cen Qing's face gradually faded.

She quickly signaled to the two personal maids standing to the side.

The two maids understood immediately and, without hesitation, turned and leaped into the water pavilion pool that connected to the flowing water outside the window.

The moment they hit the water, their lower bodies transformed into massive fish tails, and they twisted their forms, swimming like arrows toward the waterway outside the residence to arrange for their evacuation.

Cen Qing herself hurried into the inner chamber, opened a hidden compartment, and took out several crucial items: a jade slip containing important contact points and resources, several bottles of pills emitting a strange luster, and a small box of rare pearls from the deep sea.

She carefully placed these items into a seven-colored seashell she carried with her.

A flash of light rippled across the surface of the shell, and the interior seemed to form its own space, tucking all the items away.

Having finished her preparations, she dived into the water, her own fish tail manifesting, and prepared to follow the maids out through the waterway, when suddenly—

"Hum—!"

A low, deep hum resonated. Countless crisscrossing blue electric arcs suddenly lit up around the water pavilion and the river exit, instantly forming a massive electric net that shrouded the entire area.

The two Shark Person maids who had just swum out collided with the net, letting out a scream as they convulsed and were bounced back, falling to the ground and revealing their half-human, half-fish forms, struggling in agony.

"Truly... chilling, my lady."

Xiangli Wei's gloomy voice drifted from the shadows.

He stepped out slowly, followed by several Qin Mohist disciples with icy gazes and a few Xuanhu-type Mechanical Garrison Warriors that had undergone emergency repairs.

Mounted on the arms of the warriors was the Heavenly Mechanism Net, a restrictive weapon born of the Mohist School's Mechanism Art.

Xiangli Wei's gaze, sharp as a cold blade, scraped across Cen Qing's stunned face.

"I had thought that since we were husband and wife, even if we had our differences, it would not come to this. I never expected that before disaster had even arrived, you would already be thinking of abandoning me?" His voice carried irrepressible anger and deep disappointment. "And tell me, have you perhaps already leaked the true strength and weaknesses of my Qin Mohist Mecha Legion to your kin, or... to someone else?"

Cen Qing's face turned deathly pale.